Process of making slip lasted shoes



Sept. 3, 1946. J. J.. wALsH PROCESS OF MAKING SLIP LASTED SHOES' Filed May 1'8, 1944 Patented Sept. 3, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS OF MAKING SLIP LASTED SHOES John J. Walsh, Des Peres, Mo., assigner toIenaljoA Company, St. Louis, Mo., a firm Application May 18, 1944, Serial No. 536,069

'3 Claims. l

This invention relates to a new. and useful improvement lin the process of making shoes.

My invention has for its primary object .the provision of a shoe requiring for its production only a few process operations not only for `the most part of so-called slip-last type, ,but also 'readily effected with ease, accuracy, and precision byjrelatively unskilled workers and with consequent savings in labor costs and the elimination of losses by reason of faulty and rejected shoes.

My invention has .for a furtherobject the provision of a shoe through and bythe employment of the process-operations mentioned which is simple and sturdy in structure, which is soft and comfortable on the foot, which is light in weight and attractive in appearance, `and which is Velllvciently serviceable.

And with the above and other objects .in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts and in the unique steps ;or process of shoe production all presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figures 1 to 6, both inclusive, illustrate in plan or perspective some of the elements,.namely, the insole, the upper, and strap members'employed in the constructionof la shoe inraccordance Vwith myA present invention;

Figures 7 and 8'are side elevational and `bottom plan views, respectively, of the shoein position on a slip last;

Figure 9 is a bottom plan view, partly broken away, of the shoe after application thereto of a sole member;

Figure 10 is aside elevational view of the ccmpleted shoe;

Figure 11 isa transverse sectional view of the completed shoe taken approximately `along the line II-II of Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional vew of the completed shoe taken approximately along the line I2|2 of Figure 11;

Figures 13 and 14 are views, respectively, of a modied form of upper member and insole member designed to be assembled therewith for the manufacture of a shoe of the so-called pump type.

Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which is illustrative both of practical embodiments of a shoe of my present invention and of its method or process of built up on an edge-bound insole as a founda- 2 tion Without the employment or use of a last during the initial stages of its manufacture.

To such end, I provide a section or piece I of cloth, thin leather, or other flexible fabric or material cut to and having the `general outline or contour and dimensions of the outer sole of the particular shoe being manufactured, as best seen in Figure l. i

A suitable strip of leather, `fabric, or binding tape 2 is then stitched around the entire margin of the section I in the formation of an edgebound insole A. The insole A is then placed beneath a suitable pattern (not shown) and, with crayon 0r marking pencil, pairs of guide marks, va, a, b, b, and c, c, are inscribed thereon, as shown in Figure 3.

The vamp member B, Figure 4, is first cut and otherwise constructed to approximately conform to the contour, shape, and size required -in the nished shoe. Such vamp B may, of course, be made 4of any `suitable leather, fabric, or other material customarily employed in shoe manufacture and may, as illustrated in the present instance, be of the open toe type, although it will be understood that a closed toe type of shoe may equally well be constructed by this present method. After being cut and stitched, the vamp memberB is placed under a suitable pattern (not shown) and, with `a marking pencil or crayon, is .inscribed on the outsole contacting face with pairs of guide marks d, d, and e, e, as shown in Figure 4, positioned for registration, respectively, vwith the guide marks a, a, and b, b, of the insole A. In addition,'a heel strap assembly Cris formed,

as shown in Figure 5, consisting Vof a back-strap 3 and a pair of buckle-connected ankle straps 4, 4', the back-strap 3 being also provided with guide marks j, f, for registration with the guide marks c, c, of the insole A.

As an initial assembly step, the vamp member B is marginally folded `over :the insole A so that the respective guide marks come into registration and then secured by short lines of stitches 5, B, as shown in Figure 6. Similarly, the back-strap isfolded `over so that the guide marks are in registration with the guide marks c, c, and secured by lines of stitches 1, also as shown in Figure 6.

With the parts A, B, and C so joined or united one tothe other, the shoe is then placed on a last L, and in order to insure subsequent precise lasting, tacks or other temporary securing members 8 are preferably disposed through the insole A and into thelast L, as indicated in Figures 7 and 8. The unsecured margins of the vamp B are then 3 suitably coated with adhesive and then pulled over and pressed flatwise upon the corresponding marginal portion of the insole A.

When the pulled over margins of the vamp B have set, the temporary securing tacks 8 are removed and an outer sole D of the desired shoecontour, design, and shape is then adhesively or otherwise suitably fixed qflatwise to andupon the under faceof :the insole-A and over, and'thereby concealing, the underfolded marginal portions of the insole A and upper B, as is best seen in Figures 9 and 10. Finally the shoe is completed by adhesively securing therein a conventional sock-'lining E, and in due course a heellis suitably .aiixed at the desired location to and upon the under,-.face of the outer sole D, as illustrated in Figure l0.

If desired, a one-piece upper B of 'the fopen toe-and-heel type, as shown in Figure 13,-.may be employed. In such casa-the upper B Will be provided with guide marks d', d', e', e', and an insole member A substantiallysimilar to the previously described in'solemember A Willbe employed, eX- cepttthat only twopairs of guide marks a, o', and b', `b, Will be necessary, as shown in Figure 14. This modied form of shoe 4will of course be assembled exactly in the manner previously described.

It should be noted that Ythe present method makes 'possible the manufacture of an extremely efficient shoefby=relatively unskilled Workmen inasmuch as the assembly operations prior toplacing the shoe lon'a last are facilitated by the use of the several pairs of guide marks. A relatively untrained workman can easily superimpose the guide marks of the insole A and the vamp member B and secure the twol parts together in suchp/osition, so that the siZe of the nis'hed shoe will be accurate. Furthermore, with the parts stitched together along the lines of registration of the guidemarks, there is no danger that the shoe Will accidently come apart due to unskilled handling While it is vbeing placed uponthe last Il. In addition, the finished shoe retains its size Yand shape and is much more durableby reason of permanent securement in limited areas or regions by lines of stitches as above described. This results from the fact vthat the lines of stitches are eX- tremely strong and iiexible -andby being placed adjacent'the initial points of juncture between the insole 'and vamp member at the toe and shank, will take much greater shear stresses and will effectively overcomek the tendency for the outer edges of the cemented seams to peel away, as is ordinarily encountered in cemented shoes.

"It 'Willbe'understood of course, that the 4s'hoeparts or Velements are Lpermitted to stand from time to time during the production of the shoe to vallow the adhesive or cementitious binding or securing material to dry and harden, and it will also be understood that other changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and/combination of the several parts of the shoe, as Well as changes also in its steps of manufacture `or'production, 'may be made andsubstitute'cl for those Aherein shown and described without de- Vand@shapecorresponding .to those of the nished shoe and being adapted to be ultimately secured to opposite sides of the insole along continuous lines between the toe and shank of the shoe, foldingthe upper marginally over and upon the underiace ofthe insole, initially stitching said uppertothe insole prior to lasting and only in limited areas adjacent the toe and shank portions of the insole while leaving the margins of the upper free rbetween such limited areas of securement, placing the partially completed shoe upon a last and thereupon pulling over and cementingdown the unstitchedmargins of the upper and applying a sOle'member.

2. In a processof making slip-lasted shoes,.the steps ofproviding an insole having approximately the contour of the ,nished shoe, placing a pair .of guide `marks on opposite sides of .the toe portion of the insole, placing a pair .of guide mark-5 on opposite sides of the shank-portion of ,the insole', providing an upper also having the approximate dimensions and shape corresponding jto those of the finished shoe, placing pairsof guide marks on the upper in suitable positions forregistration respectively with the guide marks of the insolewhen the shoe is assembled, folding the upper maro ginally over the'insole so that the respectivepguide marks are in visible alignment, permanently securing the upper and insole togetherin the .region of the registeredguide marks priorto lasting, lasting and adhesively securing the Imargins yof the upper to the insole intermediate thepoints of permanent securement, and then 'applyinga sole member to the bottom of thejshoe.

3. In a process of shoe'production, the steps Aof providing an insole havin-g approximately the contour o'f the `finished shoe, placing 4a pair of guide marks on opposite sides of the toe portion of the insole, placing a ypair o'f guide marks on opposite sides of the shank portionof the insole, providing an upper also 'having the approximate dimensions and shape corresponding to those of the nished shoe, placing pairs vci guide marks on the upper in suitable positions for registration respectively with the guide marks of the insole when the shoe is assembled, 'folding the upper marginally over the insole so that the respective guide marks are in visible alignment, permanently securing the upper and insole together lin `the region `or" the registered guide marks fprior to lasting, placing-the thusly secured'upper andinsole upon a last, lasting and-adhesively securing themargins of the upper to the insole intermediate the points of permanent ,securement, .and then applying asole member .to the bottom ,of the shoe.

JOHN J. WALSH. 

